8 cops pore through CCTV footage all day to find this baby's parents

The Wadala GRP are working hard to trace the parents of the 15-day-old boy who was found inside a bag on a CST-Belapur train by a hawker; no evidence has been found yet

The Wadala Government Railway Police (GRP) are at their wits’ ends about who the parents of the baby abandoned at Kurla are.

Cops say the boy was probably abandoned

A team of eight policemen is going through video footage from railway stations on all three lines Central, Western and Harbour all day, to get any clue or evidence as to who abandoned the infant in the train. However, nothing of note has been found yet.

MiD DAY had reported how the 15-day-old baby boy had popped out of a bag that was picked up by a nail polish seller in a CST-Belapur local train on January 27 (see box).

MiD DAY’s report on January 28

Wadala GRP had collected CCTV footage from all stations of all three lines. Police had also questioned Kale and other hawkers and stall owners at Kurla station, where the baby was found. However, no leads have been found to identify the boy’s parents.

Senior inspector Jitendra Rathod, of the Wadala GRP, said, “We have collected the CCTV footage from all three lines. We have only seen the videos from Harbour line and half of the Central line. We hope to get some crucial evidence from the remaining feed.”

Police officials have checked records of missing persons or abandoned children from Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai. But, no relevant information was found. “He is probably not a missing child or a stolen baby.

Someone must’ve abandoned him after he was born out of wedlock,” said an officer from the Wadala GRP. The child is in custody of Asha Sadan, a children’s home in Dongri.

On Wednesday, a three-day-old girl was found abandoned in a Bhayander-Churchgate local, at Borivli. The Wadala GRP will now visit the Borivli GRP to gather any possible information that could help them in their own case.

The incidentOn the afternoon of January 27, Kishor Kale, a nail polish seller, caught a train from CST to Belapur. He was in the last ladies’ compartment and noticed an abandoned bag. He picked it up, thinking it might have valuables and alighted at Kurla. He then unzipped the bag and was shocked to see a baby’s hand reach out to him. Kale tried to abandon the baby and run from the spot. But he was caught by an alert ticket collector. On opening the bag, everyone on was shocked to see a 15-day-old infant inside.